The Miami Dolphins are releasing linebacker Tyrel Dodson, a source confirmed to ESPN on Sunday, after two seasons with the team.

The Dolphins claimed Dodson off waivers midway through the 2024 season. In just eight games, Dodson recorded a team-high three interceptions. Miami signed him to a two-year contract the following offseason, and he responded with a career-high 129 tackles in 2025.

However, the Dolphins spent a second-round pick on linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, and first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan described the team's plans for the former Texas Tech star. "He's a leader. He's a green dot guy," Sullivan said on draft night. "He'll call the defense in time, and I think he'll fit really well in the room with [Jordyn] Brooks and [Dodson]."

Over the course of training camp, Rodriguez's snaps with the Dolphins' first-team defense increased while Dodson played just 37 snaps in the team's final preseason game. Early in training camp, Dodson, 28, compared the competition to his time with the Buffalo Bills, saying there was an opportunity for each player to make an impact.

Dodson's release clears a path for Rodriguez to start right away when the Dolphins face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 and also means former undrafted free agent linebacker Jackson Woodard will make their initial 53-man roster. Over the past two seasons, Dodson ranks 19th among qualified linebackers in combined tackles with 236 and fifth in interceptions with four.